What Do I Need to Sign My Will in Rhode Island?
Witness, notary, and remote online notarization (RON) requirements for wills in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island requires 2 witnesses for a willR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. A witness must be at least 18 years old.
Rhode Island does not require notarization for a will to be validR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. Rhode Island has no execution-time affidavit; a witness affidavit at probate can substitute for live testimony, so no notary is involved when the will is signed.
Rhode Island has authorized remote online notarization for many documentsR.I. Gen. Laws § 42-30.1-12.1Verified Sep 9, 2026View source, but wills are excludedR.I. Gen. Laws § 42-30.1-12.1Verified Sep 9, 2026View source; the notarization happens in person.
To execute a will in Rhode Island: Find 2 adults to serve as witnesses. Review witness restrictions to ensure eligibility. Keep the original will in a secure location. Wet signature and in-person signing required
Yes. Rhode Island has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code, but its probate code accepts a will that was valid under the law of the place it was signed. The practical wrinkle is the self-proving affidavit: a foreign will without one forces the witnesses to be located and either appear or sign declarations, and re-executing on a Rhode Island form, or adding a Rhode Island affidavit, removes that step. The Rhode Island document portability tool carries the recognition rule by document type.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Serious Diagnosis
A serious diagnosis changes priorities. Healthcare proxies, financial powers of attorney, and the documents that ensure your wishes are honored.
Learn more
Moving to a New State
State laws vary significantly for wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. What to review after relocating to make sure your estate plan still works.
Learn more
Divorce
What divorce does and does not undo: beneficiary designations, your will, powers of attorney, and the one account your ex stays on until you change it.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Rhode Island
Free forms for planning your estate in Rhode Island: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Last Will and Testament
In Rhode Island, a will is signed before 2R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Rhode Island allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.10-2Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Rhode Island requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityR.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2Verified Sep 20, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryR.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2Verified Sep 20, 2026View source.
Living Will
In Rhode Island, the living will is the DeclarationR.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 23-4.11 (Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, §§ 23-4.11-1 to 23-4.11-15)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Pour-Over Will
In Rhode Island, a pour-over will is signed before 2R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Rhode Island
Free tools for planning your estate in Rhode Island: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Rhode Island, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1%R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Rhode Island runs $3,850Estimate: 10 hours at $385, Clio's Rhode Island Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,775Estimate: 15 hours at $385, Clio's Rhode Island Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Rhode Island runs $1,146Estimate: 3 hours at $382, Clio's Rhode Island Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,292Estimate: 6 hours at $382, Clio's Rhode Island Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $28,582R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Rhode Island, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a willR.I. Gen. Laws §§ 33-5-4, 33-15.1-7, 33-15.1-4, 33-15.1-8; will execution § 33-5-5Verified Sep 16, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-12-1Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Rhode Island takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.1%R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
When you're ready, we're here.
Rhode Island Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Rhode Island probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.